After lunch, I went to the west of the city to watch a play as promised.

Men, women, and children from the town and several nearby villages had already arrived, crowding the huge threshing floor, and even the surrounding poplar trees were full of children.

There are four tables of eight immortals in front of the stage, the table is full of peanuts, melon seeds, preserved fruits, sesame candy and cloud cakes, Han Xiufeng gave his hands to the local fathers and elders to greet the New Year, and sat down under the support of Dean Gu, Wang Jiansheng and other squires, sat down to greet for a while, the troupe master came to the stage to greet everyone for the New Year, and after the New Year, the drum and gong were started.

The local opera is really different from the Peking opera, only one Xiao Dan sings a duet with a clown, and the singing tone has a strong local accent, if it weren't for Dean Gu and Wang Jiansheng to explain, I really don't know that they are singing "Jade Dragonfly". However, the singing tone is very delicate, and it has a unique charm to listen to. Especially the part of "Pulling Out the Roots and Firewood Flowers" at the end, the tune was light and lively, which really opened Han Xiufeng's eyes.

Xu Lequn is neither an official nor a local gentry, so he is not qualified to move forward, so he can only squeeze behind like the common people.

But he didn't care at all, because he didn't have the heart to watch any drama like Han Xiufeng, and after looking around in the back for a while, he finally saw the person who was also looking for him. The big man who was selling peanuts at the yamen a few days ago quietly squeezed to his side, and while following the crowd to the town, he asked in a low voice: "Mr. Xu, the guests have come to Ben's house, when will they come over to eat and drink?" ”

Xu Lequn looked at Han Xiufeng, who was walking towards the town surrounded by a group of squires, touched his nose and said, "Staring at the yamen, when will I go with Master Han, when will you call the guests to come and drink." ”

"Okay, I'm leaving."

"Wait."

"What else?"

"The wine in the town is not good, and the guests are invited to go directly to Zhongjiazhuang."

"Understood."

Xu Lequn looked back at Dahan, and then sped up his pace as if nothing had happened, squeezed around in the crowd, and finally squeezed to Han Xiufeng's side when he was about to reach the south exit of Shiban Street.

"Master Han, what do you think of the local flower drum opera?"

"Yes, it's good, it's an eye-opener." Han Xiufeng sighed, and asked curiously: "Mr. Xu, where did you go just now, I was still thinking about going together, why can't I see anyone when I get to the threshing floor." ”

Xu Lequn said with a little embarrassment: "I'm right behind you, and when I see those squires surrounding you, I'm not embarrassed to move forward." ”

"Blame me, patronize and talk to them, but forget you."

"Master Han, don't think so, it's actually quite good to look at the back, but it's uncomfortable to sit in the front."

As he spoke, the yamen arrived.

Han Xiufeng walked into the courtyard around the Yimen, only to see Zhang Daring wearing an official uniform and carrying an oxtail knife, and was inspecting the water and fire sticks, spears and dozens of sticks that he didn't know where to find them in the corner with his three flood soldiers. The two green battalion soldiers invited by Su Juemin from Taizhou were wiping the barrels of their guns with iron bars wrapped in cloth, and the big head was using the water and fire sticks that he had not brought from his hometown in Ba County, and was wrapping a cloth rope around the end of the flat pole under the guidance of Yu Youfu.

Pan Er, who is usually in charge of accounting and purchasing, also uncharacteristically picked up the oxtail knife and was wielding it in the yard, obviously wanting to practice before the big war. Chu Chenggui and the other soap archers on duty last night were all called back, and they stood stupidly on the side with Jiang Huai and other soap bow soldiers on duty today and didn't dare to squeak.

"Young master, this is yours, I have been grinding all afternoon." The big ones were a little wasteful, and as soon as they saw Han Xiufeng, they ran back to the lobby and got an oxtail knife.

Han Xiufeng took the knife and pulled it out to look at it, then turned around and asked with a smile, "Mr. Xu, do you want to bring a knife for self-defense?" ”

"Master Han, I don't need it, I can't ...... the chicken."

"Then you'll follow me when you get there."

"Master Xie Han takes care of it."

Zhang Daring greeted him and arched his hand: "Master Han, everything is ready, just wait for the news from the Hu family." ”

"Okay, we'll leave as soon as we have news." Han Xiufeng thought for a while and said, "But you can't go hungry, Changsheng, did you do supper?" ”

"A thousand steps are being done."

"Where's the ship?"

"The ferry boat for the group to cross the river has been found, and the boatman is waiting for us at the ferry. Master Zhang was worried about leaking the news, and Hu Jiashe and Qilidian's boat were not found. ”

Zhang Daring hurriedly said: "Master Han, we must take a break before we start, and when we arrive, we will let Captain Baozheng find the boat in time." ”

"Okay, that's it." Han Xiufeng turned to look at Chu Chenggui and said, "Chenggui, bring out all the prisoners in the class!" ”

"Bring it all out?" Chu Chenggui was taken aback.

"Bring it all out." Han Xiufeng nodded, and then walked to the front of the lobby.

Zhang Daring followed up with the handle of the knife and stood on his left side, while Pan Er, Yu Youfu, Datou and the two flood soldiers under Zhang Daring tacitly beckoned Jiang Huai and other Sooli archers to form a circle in the courtyard, and even the two green battalion soldiers invited by Su Jueming from Taizhou put their shotguns on the rack and prepared to be suppressed.

Chu Chenggui didn't dare to ask again, and hurriedly took the key from Pan's second-hand to open the door.

"Come out, be honest with me, and stand in a line!"

"Get up, sleep in the daytime, come out, don't crowd, go out one by one."

……

Chen Jingjun walked out of the class room, looked at the inspector and Zhang Daring of the foreign commissioner standing in front of the lobby, and then looked at the soap Li archers and green camp flood soldiers who were waiting around him, thinking that he was going to be escorted to Taizhou for trial, he chuckled in his heart, and he was so frightened that he couldn't give up.

Gu Tinggui also thought that it was time to "hit the road", and suddenly broke out in a cold sweat, wanting to shout grievances but not daring to speak.

Ma Guozhong always put on a posture in the class room that he was not afraid of the sky and the earth, and always said that his head could not fall off but a bowl with a big scar, and he was a good man after eighteen years, not to mention that he was not guilty to death, but when he saw this posture, he was so frightened that he couldn't move.

"Rub it off, hurry up!"

"Chen Hu, what do you think, hurry up and line up, line up in a line, do you hear!" Chu Chenggui kept scolding, kicking his feet from time to time.

After a while, all the ninety-six prisoners were released, neatly lined up in nine teams, the timid were so frightened that they trembled, and they boldly raised their heads to peek, but they only dared to peek, and they did not dare to look around, let alone talk to each other.

"Master Han, all ninety-six prisoners are here!"

"Okay, let's go down."

"Yes."

As soon as Chu Chenggui stepped aside, Han Xiufeng cleared his throat, looked around at the group of ruffians and said, "Raise your head and look at this official!" ”

"Did you hear that, Master Han told you to look up!" Afraid that some ruffians would not understand, Zhang Daring shouted in the local dialect.

Chen Jingjun and the others relieved themselves and raised their heads one after another.

Han Xiufeng clenched the handle of the knife and said loudly: "As the saying goes, if you are an official, you will benefit one party. When this official came to Hai'an to take office, he naturally had to make decisions for the people under his jurisdiction, and he also divided the Zhuang town under his jurisdiction. And you are rampant in the countryside and have done a lot of evil, and it is intolerable if you don't strictly investigate and deal with it! ”

"Master Han, the little wronged...... a splash was frightened, his legs were weak, and he knelt down and shouted injustice.

"Shut up!" Chu Chenggui hurriedly ran up and kicked him violently, and then pulled him up.

"Wronged, whether this official has wronged you or not, not only do you know it in your own heart, but also the evidence is ironclad!"

Han Xiufeng snorted coldly, and then changed his words: "But how can I say that you are also the people under the rule of this official, these days, almost all of your parents, brothers and other relatives have come to intercede, or ask someone to intercede." You've made a mistake, and they haven't had a good year! This official can't bear to let them be sad, and after thinking about it, he plans to give you a chance to atone for your sins! ”

What does it mean to atone for sins?

Chen Jingjun understood the official language, and his mind suddenly became active, staring at Han Xiufeng and wondering how to atone for his sins.

"I just received news that a group of smuggling salt dealers smuggled more than a dozen boatloads of smuggled salt through Hai'an. This is your last chance, as long as you are willing to help the same officials investigate and seize smuggled salt, not only can you atone for your crimes, but also have a reward after taking down these smuggling salt dealers! I don't want to be a ...... official."

Although it is risky to catch smuggled salt dealers, it is better than being escorted to Taizhou, Chen Jingjun shouted without thinking: "Master Han, the little one is willing, the little one is willing!" ”

"Listen to what the official has to say." Han Xiufeng paused, and then said, "Although the smuggler salt dealers are a rabble, they are all brave and ruthless outlaws. You think carefully, if you say you are willing at this time, but when it comes to the real knife and real gun to fight the smuggler and retreat, don't blame the military law of this officer! ”

"Those who retreat from the battle, slash!" Zhang boldly shouted.

Ma Guozhong thought that the smugglers were human beings, didn't they just fight, who was afraid of whom? What's more, this is to help the yamen do things, looking at the posture, not only the soap Li archers of the Yamen of the Inspection Department will go, but even the flood soldiers of the Foreign Affairs Department will go, and there are even two bird guns, so many people have nothing to be afraid of, and they can't help shouting: "Master Han, the small one is rotten, and the small one is not afraid!" ”

"Aren't you afraid?"

"Don't be afraid!"

"Okay, stand over there." Han Xiufeng motioned to Chu Chenggui to help him open the handcuffs and shackles, and said in a low voice: "The rewards and punishments of this official are clear, if you can help the same officials take down this gang of illegal salt dealers, not only will you not be responsible for the past, but each person will also be rewarded with five taels of silver." If you are unlucky and die in the smuggler of salt, you will be compensated by the flood soldiers of the green battalion. ”

"Hengzhi is a death, it's better to fight with those smuggler salt dealers, count me as Lao Tzu!"

"What do you say, whose Lao Tzu are you?" Zhang boldly asked.

"Master Zhang, the little one can't speak, the little one is willing, and the little one is the little one."

Actually dared to call himself "Lao Tzu" in front of the inspection master, not only Pan Er and the others laughed, but even those ruffians who were the day after tomorrow couldn't help laughing.

"Master Han, the little one is willing to atone for his sins, and he is considered a small one."

"Isn't it just a gang of smuggled salt dealers, who is afraid of whom, Master Han, the little one is willing to help the same official to investigate and arrest smuggled salt."

……

As expected, in order not to be escorted to Taizhou, a group of ruffians were willing to fight with private tyrants without exception, Han Xiufeng finally breathed a sigh of relief, looked around at them and said: "Since you are all willing to atone for your crimes, then you are all at the disposal of Master Zhang from now on, Master Zhang is a military attache of the imperial court, Master Zhang's words are military orders, military orders are like mountains, if anyone dares to disobey orders, don't blame Master Zhang for his military method!" ”